Category Archives: California painting

Morro Rock Painting {Evening Prayer}

Posted on by Laura
11 Feb
“Evening Prayer”
 8 x 8
oil on canvas board
private collection

I recently painted this little view of Morro Rock as a gift for a friend.

 

I enjoyed experimenting with the brushwork in the sky and the sand.
As I painted, I thought of one of my favorite prayers from the Book of Common Prayer,

 

 

O LORD, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.

Last Light in Laguna Canyon

Posted on by Laura
17 Jan

I love painting in Laguna Beach. The canyons and hills are just as inspiring as the coast. This afternoon I was attracted to how rich the colors in the shadow were and how the last light illuminated just the crest of the hill and the distant mountain.

A photo of the same view clearly shows how a representational painting does more than just copy a scene. The artist translates the physical world through his or her own vision and communicates something (hopefully) truer, more focused, and more personal than a copyist.